ED 388 462
AUTHORTITLE
INSTITUTION
SPONS AGENCYPUB DATENOTE
PUB TYPE
EDRS PRICEDESCRIPTORS
DOCUMENT RESUME
RC 020 208
Carr, John C.; And Others.Lakota Sioux Indian Dance Theatre. Cuesheet for
Students.John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,
Washington, D.C.Department of Education, Washington, DC.9513p.; Photographs and illustrations may not reproduce
adequately.Guides Classroom Use Instructional Materials (For
Learner) (051)
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.*American Indian Culture; American Indian History;Cultural Activities; Cultural Education; *CulturalEnrichment; *Dance; Elementary Secondary Education;*Lakota (Tribe); Learning Activities; Sioux (Tribe);
Theater ArtsIDENTIFIERS Dance Companies; *Spirituality
ABSTRACTThis performance guide provides students with an
introduction to Lakota Sioux history and culture and to the dancesperformed by the Lakota Sioux Indian Dance Theatre. The Lakota Siouxbelieve that life is a sacred circle in which all things areconnected, and that the circle was broken for them in 1890 by themassacre at Wounded Knee. Only in recent times is the circle becoming
whole again as American Indians struggle to achieveself-determination and renew their heritage. Sioux legends andhistories have been collected and published. Old skills are beingused again. Dance is a central part of life, expressing belief inspirits, nature, and the relationship of all things to one another.Eight dances performed by the Lakota Sioux Indian Dance Theatre aredescribed, along with their purposes and significance. The guideincludes information about the dance company, pointers to enhanceappreciation of the performance, suggestions for related studentactivities, and a list of related reading materials and videos.(JAT)
***********************************************************************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document. IC
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The circle appears over
and over in the culture of
the Lakota Sioux. They believe that life is
a sacred circle in which all thongs are
connectednature, animals, and humans.
Sometimes Lakota Sioux refer to the circle as
the Sacred Hoop. When Lakota Sioux
perform the hoop dance they are doing
the dance of life, seeking harmony
r'"-- -r?,-,.--7-
' '14,4; A
4
inmimusemsg*'
and balance in all things.
0**it 0..
ono
4
Welcome to Cuesheet,
one of a series of
performance guides
published by the
Education Department
of the John F. Kennedy
Center for the
Performing Arts,
Washington, D.C. This .
Cuesheet is designed to
be used before and
after attending a
performance by the
Lakota Sioux Indian
Dance Theatre. You may
use Cuesheet alone or
with others. Some of the
suggested activities in it
will be more interesting
if they are done with
classmates, friends, or
family members.
1CIPP
WHArS INCUESHEET?
The Lakota Sioux: A Rich
History, page 2
Spirits and Myths,
page 5
dances and the Circle
of Life, page 6
The Lakota Sioux
Indian Dance
Theatre, page 8
Looking and
Listening, page 9
Family, °immunity,
and Nature's Cycle,
page 10 .
The Buffalo: A Valued
Friend, page 12
You May Want To...,
page 12
:7):TT
THE LAKOTA SIOUX:A RICH HISTORY
7 .111,r7-71 ;7:
Native Americans once lived throughout what is now the United States. in
1492, when Columbus arrived in the Americas, there were about two
million Native Americans living in 300 tribes.
According to scientists, the ancestors of Native Americanscame to North America from Siberia at least 20,000years ago. During the Ice Age, the sea level dropped:causing a land
bridge to appear at the Berintrait. Huntirtg..buffal9 and woolly
mammoth, they crossed theVridgi. Natiie lAirtericans believe their
ancestOrs aktiays lived on this cOntinenr"
l_agenumberCz'ithative Americanlived on the Great'Plains. The Sioux
Med there ince#1600s.TheAsaRed along the Mississippi River as
drniers and hunters in places that today are the states of Minnesota,
Wisconsin, and lowa.When they were defeated by their American Indian
enemies and when white settlers seized their land, the Sioux hadto leave their farms and.hunting grounds andwander in search of a new home. Eventually,they
reached the Great Plains and learned to lead nomadic lives, moving from
place to place in search of food.
Farming, forests, and lakes were
forgotten as the Sioux
learned to live in an
"ocean of grass':
-
BEST COPY AVAILABLE3
-
COLUMBUS mademisi-ake whetA he
i-he vtatives
o.P tiori-k America
"los. kddos." He
N'elieved `oy
sat1413 west. 4v0VA
Europe -Pow evioujHA
he would arrivesomewhere 4, Asia.
Like oi-herEuropeoms, he did
kvtow
Americas exist-ed.Because hei-koulki- he was
t..he ItIdiowt
Oceom whevi he
lowtded al- Sow;
Salvador IslavAd
+-he Bahama
lslomds, he called,i-he people he wtei-
"los Ihdtos
THE GREATPLAINS covermore 1-how; 1,500,000
square mtles Thei-erroth, a 4-1Ae
Great- Plaths vowtes.
li- has vast-
gYassl etv;615. I i- otiSi
Inas some rugged
hills, suck as Fhe
BiOleg- Hills, whtch
owe t-he sacred.
cerelmoblial oyoumcks
oP i-he Sioux.
THE NAMESwhichNative AtmeYicovA
1-yi`oes were .5ivev i-o
i-heth
exployers emd,
set-i-lers. The
Ckippew.ak coIled
Ike SictAx
"NatdewistAe" (),-dety-wee-soo), I-he
woyd. -Foy "liH-le
sokke," wieemivtg
evtemy." FyetAch
ex-ployeys had(
sayivtg
i-ke vtaWote Olvtd
ti-skoyi-evted
"Siohx." The Siohxowe cohiposed o-P
4-k,ree py4Icipokl
lovnohotse T'01APS
rnith di.P-Peve$1.
potyi-s oP i-he
Pak() 4,at, cold
Netkot-m. Tlney
meevri "i-ke people."
RESERVATIONScwe 1,1;Aces sei-
aside 1,, -FederalcAvck
3overvtmeni-s -PoY
lhoki;Avts Fo live ovt.
Tkere Okre c%0X5UI''
300 yeserveki-iom
locoti-ed 4, '34
s4eati-es.
^
41.1111twat
The Sioux were one of the'30 tribes that lived on the Great Plains.They
soon became fierce warriors and buffalo hunters. From 1830 until 1870,
the SiouxIndians.
Unfortunately, contact with white settlers
brought the Sioux great misery: Settlerstook the Sioux land and built fences
. .around it to keep out other settlers and to prevent the
.,- Sioux from reclaiming it.The
were the most powerful Plains
, United States Government
made treaties with
Native Americans"
guaranteeing their ownership of
land. Unfortunately, all those
treaties were broken by
tne Government. Many Sioux died of diseases like smallpox and
measles, which the settlers brought with them and to which the Sioux were
not immune. Many Sioux died in battleS with army troops sent to
control them. Like other Native Americans, they were forced to livein poverty on reservations.
For the Sioux, the final devastating massacre of theii people occurred
in 1890 at the Battle of Wounded Knee, when almost 250 men, women,
and children were killed by United States soldiers.The Lakota Sioux believe
that the sacred circle of life was broken for them at that
battle, and it is only in recent times that the circle is becoming whole again.
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
HERE ARE MANy<
fascinating
details concerning The.,
Battle of Wounded -.
Knee. Research and ...
explain what role,the
Ghost Dance played in .
the battle, why the_
battle happened, and.
what its res Its Were.
.2*
THE SACREDPIPE is t-he
ob3eci-s
i-ke Sioux. The
woockevc emel
pipesi-otke bowl.
represelgi- 4.-tAe
Ameyicak lndiatk's
body. The 1-cbacco
sok i-he bowl
represeki-s 001 livi
T'eevi i-hih3s. The
smoke covAes
.Prom 4-he pipe rep-
resevki-s {-he breoki-k
o i-he people, okyld
'Li- cowries prayers F0
vslokkoklk Tookkok, {-he
Cyeati-or.
PART OF THELAND i-okkeh
-Pro i-he
Lakoi-a Sioux.is fheBlokclg. Hills oP Sou,Fh
Dokkot-a, 1-kely
sacred ceremoYtialsrouolds. rke ni`oevAed i-he thkii-ed
Sfai-es f;overvkweiAl-
-Por e i-tAyvt
pay+ cyt which
NO oke lives. i l"IST
i-he Goverksm.eni-
okdv.kii-i-ed if woks
utrovk okYtot oPPered
i-o poky millic%ks oc
dollars fo 1-he l-ribe.
'The Sioux ye.Pused
i-he movtey e6i,
;Appealed i-he
'they wThi- c.tly
fheir sacred lowidrei-Lkylked. By 1114
'.O decisiok had
bee,4 Yeackee1.
:11 -?...4.11) -
_1:" v.
Today, Lakota Sioux continue to live on reservations in North and
South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Montana. Some live in
Canada. However, many Lakota Sioux live, as other Americans do,
in urban communities throughout the country. Todaythere are about 1.900.000 Native Americansliving in the United States.
Since 1924, when Indians were recognized as American citizens, their
lives have gradually improved. But their struggle
goes on. New homes and roads are being
built on reservations.There are new
and better schools. Over 30 tribal
colleges and universities
throughout the
country offer
programs which
include the study
of Native American
heritage.
More and more AmericanIndians are claimingtheir civil rights. The
American Indian Movement (AIM)
and other reservation-based
organizations have helped to bring
about change. "Self-determination,"
by which Indians decide how they
will use the natural resources on
the reservations and make other
decisions for themselves, has
become important.
The Sioux are sharing more and
more of the pride they feel about
their heritage. Sioux legends and
histories have been collected and
published. Old skills are used
again.The Lakota Sioux Indian
Dance Theatre shares an ancient
culture through rituals, songs,.and
dances presented to audiences
throughout the world.
inHE NAMES of many
11 places in the United
States have American
Indian names. Some of .
them are:
Potomac (River),
Manhattan,
Chicago,
Appalachia,
and Mississippi.
Identify places in the
city or state where you
live that have Indian
names. Find out
what the names
, mean. Make a small
dictionary of them.
"e4.:,;'Its-.
OME FAMOUS
4?Lakota Sioux
leaders wereChief
Sitting Bull, Chief Red
Cloud, Chief Black Elk,
Chief Crazy-Horse, and
Chief Sp`otted TaiL Find
out why they are ,
remembered. Alone or
with othrs, make a
booklet in which you
include their
biogr hies and
pictifres. Donate your., 41. ,
booklet to the school
library or media center.
Prayer to the Buffalo
. 5 BEST Copy AVA ,A 13LE
?bik
THE SIOUX r e staved:
i-he eaqe i-he
mosi- pot.ve4k1 oc
biYds. They alsobeheve has
ivApoy+-alvt-
,elisiou,s
si3vti-Pi-
coukce.
SecaLAse
il- COM 4-ly
evioiActh i-o vlisappeow
%nekind, cloLAds,
i-he SiotAx believe
i-he easlecomvALivticati-es
pYmyeYs i-ke
oYeai- Walcav,
Tavika. The tmosi-
sacYed -Peai-keys
covAe -Pyov4 1-ke
ea3ie. Eot&ePeai-keys aye used
iv% kNOVe \,(VMe i-s, ahd,
,-;.1
: I I
4 s
Tr
ORM AND MYTHSSPIRITSThe Sioux pray to the Great Spirit, Wakan
Tanka, who created the sacred circle of life on
earth.They believe Wakan Tankagave power to all things.Native Americans believe that special
powers were given to many different
animal spirits, such as the eagle, deer, hawk,
nd buffalo.Many times animal
-10is*ireall0.uponvision
A00.44;
as ?ay.+ o-P ekahce
cosi-tAwtes.
MEDICINE MEN ave
people who hcAve
yeceived speciodheolhIl powey Pyoh,
WaltokYt
Tkey are fhespirituml leadeys o-P
Fhe
qsaround 12
years of
age was carefully prepared by tribal elders and
a medicine man to go on the first of many vision
quests. He would go to a quiet and lonely place to
fast, taking with him the sacred pipe.Through the
vision quest he hoped to receive a message from
Wakan Tanka and to gain wisdom
"11
Eagle Dance
and strength to help him be a
good member
of the
tribe,
and to
understand his place in the circle of life. If the boy had a vision, he told it to
the medicine man, who interpreted it for him.
t
otb. .411,.M11,' re,°'"k
t I
0A14.1,11mlymmtfaiM
. .
11
4
11
MYTHSMyths are traditional stories passed along through oral tradition. Some
myths explain how things came to exiSt. Some myths tell about gods and
heroes. Some myths tell why people and animals behave the way they do.
Different groups of people tell different myths, but many of them are
sjrnilar throughout.the world.
Lakota Sioux myths teach that humans are a tiny partof a large and mysterious universe. They also help
explain the sacred circle of life. Prayer, expressed through ritual and
ceremony, is the way to make sure that life on earth is good.
Among the responsibilities of the wise men of the tribe was to be
keepers-of tribal memories, including myths. They were also responsible for
passing on how to perform rituals and ceremonies.
the impor-
t feathers to the
Lak a Sioux. What is a
"coup"? Why was
counting coups
important to warriors?
Make a set of drawings. :
showing how feathers
were worn by the SiOux
to show their bravery
and accomplishments in.
battle.
WRITE A POEMthat expresses
. the respect Lakota
Sioux feel for the eagle.
BEST COPY A1AILABLE
DA
WE
S A
ND
TH
EC
IRC
LE
OF
LIF
ED
ance
is a
cen
tral
par
t ofth
e lif
e of
the
Lako
ta
Sio
ux p
eoP
le.T
hey
danc
e to
exp
ress
thei
r be
lief
in s
pirit
s, n
atur
e, a
nd th
e re
latio
nshi
p of
aR
thin
gs
..to
one
anot
her.
The
y da
nce
to s
hare
trad
ition
s.
The
y da
nce
to h
onor
peo
ple.
The
y da
nce
in p
ow-
wow
s to
cel
ebra
te th
eir
cultu
re. A
nd th
ey d
-,nc
e
to e
njoy
them
selv
es.
Nat
ive
Am
eric
an d
ance
rsda
nce
in h
onor
of
Wal
can
Tan
ka. t
he.G
reat
Spi
rit.
Whe
n
they
dan
ce to
exp
ress
thei
r be
liefs
, to
shar
e
trad
ition
s, o
r to
hon
or p
eopl
e, a
ll th
e m
embe
rs o
f
the
trib
e ar
e pa
rt o
f the
dan
ce. E
ven
the
peop
le
stan
ding
aro
und
the
circ
le in
whi
ch th
e da
nces
are.
perf
orm
ed a
re p
art o
f it.
Mot
hers
may
hol
d
babi
es, p
eopl
e m
ay c
hat a
nd g
Oss
ip, b
ut
ever
yone
hel
ps th
e da
ncer
s by
-pra
ying
and
shou
ting
'app
rova
l and
app
laud
ing.
In th
at W
ay,.
'all
the
mem
bers
of
the
trib
e'p
artic
ipat
e in
the
danc
e.W
hen
the.
danc
ers.
perf
orm
in fr
ont 6
f
.aild
ienc
es in
thea
ters
, thi
ng. s
:are
diff
eren
t.The
,di
ncer
s ar
e sh
arin
g th
eir
trad
itiO
ns w
ith a
nt.
telli
ng a
boiit
thei
r hi
stor
y to
non
trib
ai a
udie
nces
.
Sin
ce th
ey p
erfo
rm o
n a
stag
e ra
thei
than
in.ih
e sa
cred
circ
le o
n th
eir
rese
rvat
ions
,a
.na
rrat
or e
xpla
ins
the
cian
ees
soth
at th
e.au
dien
Ce
will
und
erst
and
them
.Whe
n
.dan
ces.
are
perf
orm
ed fo
r ot
her
Lako
ta S
ioux
,
ever
yone
und
erst
ands
thei
r m
eani
ng b
ecau
se
they
hav
e gr
own
up p
artic
ipat
ing
in th
em.
AT
TH
E P
ER
FO
RM
AN
CE
of t
heLi
kota
Sio
ux In
dian
Dan
ce T
heat
re, t
he n
arra
tor
'will
exp
lain
the
mea
ning
of e
ach
danc
e. H
e w
ill
.als
o di
scus
s irn
port
antld
eas
abou
t.the
his
tory
and
belie
fs o
f the
Lak
ota
Sio
Ux.
The
dan
cerS
will
som
etim
es,s
ing
whi
le th
ey d
ance
.Som
e
inem
be'rs
will
pla
y th
e flu
te.a
nd d
rum
.The
re a
re
man
y ki
nds
of d
ance
s pe
rfor
med
by.
the
Lako
ta
Sio
ux In
dian
Dan
ce T
heat
re. A
few
of t
hem
are
desc
ribed
oh
thes
e pa
ges.
erai
rr"
.1
Tin
HO
OP
DA
NC
E c
eleb
rate
sth
e w
ay o
f .
life
of a
ll N
ativ
e A
mer
ican
s. O
ne le
gend
say
sth
at
the
hoop
dan
ce is
abo
ut th
esa
cred
circ
le
- W
hen
a pe
rson
does
the
hoop
dan
ce h
e is
ackn
owle
dgin
g th
e sa
cred
circ
le a
nd a
ll th
eth
ings
that
are
con
nect
ed w
ithin
it.
r1;
;;-
TH
E G
RA
SS
DA
NC
E is
als
o ca
lled
The
Gra
ss F
latte
ning
Dan
ce. T
he d
ance
rs
flatte
n a
gras
sy a
rea
whe
re a
spe
cial
eve
ntta
kes
plac
e. In
the
past
, tho
se w
ho
perf
orm
ed th
e da
nce
wer
e ad
mire
d be
caus
ew
hen
they
dan
ced
they
cle
anse
d an
d
purif
ied
the
circ
le in
whi
ch th
ey d
ance
d:T
he m
ovem
ent,
in c
ombi
natio
n w
ith th
e
swee
tgra
ss o
n th
eda
ncer
s' le
ggin
gs, a
re a
n of
ferin
g to
the
Ear
th M
othe
r an
dto
the
Gre
at S
pirit
.tdda
y,.d
ance
rs w
ear
yarn
on.th
eir
legg
ir* in
stea
d of
sw
eetg
rass
.
TH
E W
OM
EN
'SS
HA
WL
DA
NC
Ere
quire
s da
ncer
s to
impr
ovis
e m
ove-
men
t to
unus
ually
fast
dru
m b
eats
.
Impo
rtan
t in
the
danc
e ar
e th
e
wom
en's
frin
ged
shaw
ls a
nd b
eade
d
legg
ings
and
oc-
casi
ns.T
he w
men
mov
e th
eir
a m
s to
imita
te e
a11
.wi
Sha tra
ion
was
inve
1940
s aq
...
,_
TH
E B
UF
FA
LO D
AN
CE
hon
ors
...:t.
;,...i
...tA
tie-a
nim
a th
at 'g
ave
t e L
akot
a S
ioux
food
,.
She
lter,
and
-oth
er m
eans
of s
urvi
val:W
s da
nce
was
orig
inal
ly p
erfo
rined
by
mem
bers
of.
the
4uffa
lo in
thei
r vi
sion
que
sts.
cl.r
eatn
edbf
the
..
,
TH
E W
OM
EN
'S T
RA
DIT
ION
AL
DA
NC
E h
onor
sw
omen
, who
rep
rese
nt M
othe
rE
arth
. In
Lakd
ta S
ioux
trad
itidn
,
wom
en a
re a
dmire
d as
the
brin
gers
of p
eace
and
har
mon
y.
7,
-B
ES
T C
OP
YA
VA
ILA
13.k
.__L
EA
Q.,
mut
tuth
k
1. 4bO
blr
...)
-4'
,-
TH
E S
NE
AK
UP
DA
NC
E r
eena
cts
aba
ttle.
The
dan
cers
dep
ict w
arrio
rs s
talk
ing
thei
r
enem
ies.
.
TH
E E
AG
LE D
AN
CE
is a
pra
yer
iO th
e G
reat
Spi
rit.T
he,,,
,da
ncer
ask
s fo
r a
bles
sing
on
the
peop
le a
s.he
imita
tes
the
soar
ing
of th
e ea
gle,
a s
yMbo
l of t
he G
reat
SitT
he w
his-
tle im
itate
s th
e ea
gle'
s cr
y.
TH
E R
OU
ND
DA
NC
E is
one
of t
he m
ost s
igni
fican
t dan
ces
in w
hich
men
and
wom
en d
ance
toge
ther
. It i
s re
late
d to
the
hoop
of t
he n
atio
n an
d th
e sa
cred
cird
e.T
he R
ound
Dan
ce is
a fr
iend
ship
dan
ce fo
r al
l peo
ple
to jo
in in
to c
ompl
ete
the
sacr
ed c
ircle
of l
ife a
nd to
hel
p ke
ep a
ll th
ings
on
eart
h in
bal
ance
.
84si
birn
iA
THE LAKOTA SIOUXINDIAN DANCETHEATREThe Lakota Sioux Indian Dan( Theatre,
produced by The Solaris Lako Project, tours with
approximately 12 to 15 Amer can Indians who
perform dances, songs. andceremonies that have been partof their culture for centuries.The Dance Theatre shares its work by traveling
throughout the world. The member's of the com-
pany areeager for everyone to see thele-f419
beauty of their culture.
The Lakota Sioux indian Dance Theatre
was founded on the Rosebud Reservation
in South Dakota in 1978. Henry Smith, the
artistic director, worked closely with Sioux
leaders, who helped him decide what dances
to perform and how to present them for both
Indian and nontribal audiences. Mr. Smith is
not an American Indian, but he has been so
devoted to learning about and sharing the
cultuie through the dance of the Lakbta Sioux
that he has been adopted by some tribal famihes.
He became interested in Lakota Sioux dance
traditions when he was teaching dance in a school
on a South Dakota reServation.
The r, arrator is a respectedelder and storyteller: Sometimes the
narration is provided by Albert White Hat, who
helped make the film "Dances With.Wolves."
Sometimes it is provided by Lance White Magpie,
a descendant of Chief Crazy Horse, or by Marian
One Star, a consultant on tribal customs,
The musicians in the company are Gabe
DesRosiers, the lead singer of Northern Wind, a
group that performs at many powwows, and Brian
Akipo, a traditional flute player. Lead dancers are
Marian One Star, Jessie Spotted Tail, Grace Her
Many Horses, Leon Thompson, Lance White
Magpie, and Lillian and Ron Good Eagle.
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:2 ,
I
Above: Grass Dance.Right: Men'sTraditional Dance.
t-Narrator
fo
4 Pk.
gailiA
0
LOOKING ANDLISTENINGAttending a perforrnance by the Lakota Sioux
Indian Dance Theatre will be interesting and
enjoyable for everyone if you
REMEMBER....the dances allow us to experience some-
thing about the Lakota Sioux way of life.
the dances are about such things as the
sacred hoop, thebuffalo, and the eagle.
that the Lakota Siotix believe that dance is an
important part of the sacred circle of life.
dance must be watched closely in order to
see the patterns of movement.
WATCH...hoW the dancers use the' space of the stage:.
one place or many; cloSe together or far
apart.
how the dancers' movements are usually
closeto the ground.
+ how the dancers start and stop exaL.,., on
the beat..
44. hOW the.dancers show energy: fast, slow;
calm, ekiting. . -
for objects Such as eagle 'feather fans and.
. horse dance siicks. :
LISTEN...44 how the drum
beats fit the .danceS.
for.the one
special time in each
dance when fOur beats
are sounded loudly and
thedancers turn four
times. (The four beats
represent the four
directions of the compass,
which are part of the sa'cred
circle of life.)
for rhythms.
for singing.
4.
Round Dance
A DANCE
that expresses
something you are
grateful fon Choose
-music that goes well
with your dance.
.Practice the dance. .
Perform it for class-
mates, friends, or your
faTily. Explain to
them what you are
grateful for and why.
IWAGINE that you
Ulare a dance critic tor,
a newspaper or
magazine. Write.a
200-word review ofi.
the Lakota Sioux
Indian Dance Theatre..
Tell what dances were.
performe.d and what
they mean. Offer your
opinion about how
well they were
*performed and how
they made you feel.
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THE FOUR MOST
IMPORTANT
HUMANQUALITIES -Coy
Ft Ae LakoinA
Slow< were
Yeatvevy
owid
Pov+iilAde,
,gevIerosih,
avid
wisci
ese
FAMILY, COMMUNITY,AND NATURE'S CYCLEFAMILY STRUCTUREMembers of the traditional Lakota Sioux tribe lived in close-knit families.
The work of both men and women was necessary to the survival of the
family. However, they had different responstilities.
Men fought and hunted. They.were responsible
for the ceremonies and-rituals. They also
prepared young men fOr their viion quests.
Women raised the children and taught
them the Four Great Virtues.of Life.Women
also grew crops, made tepees and
clothing, and cared for the sick.
.Flimilies passed ontribal beliefs andskills for survival.
In this way, Lakota Sioux made
sure that the circle of life would
we're cadlle
it.te GY-eatt-
fbilkow atelViri-tAes oP
Eack viyi-u;e is gralitiiktmevAbeys si-rive64
.Por wort-hivess
ealCh
cohvteci-ed 1-6
oflAers. A1 -PcitvAily
I II
Lir4f,gooto
continue.
Lakota Doll, 1880.Denver Art Museum
VIOHAT ARE FOURT
41 IMPORTANTVIRTUES you want to .
develop? Draw a
shield divi ed into
fou ions. Write
one quality in each
sectiort. Then drama
'picture for each
,quality that explains.
what the quality
means to you.
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commtnarvThe Lakota Sioux community was made up of groups of many
families. Each group was an extended familyof fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, cousins, uncles,
and aunts. Men and.women had different jobs, but they worked
together for everyone's benefit."
-
NATURE'SCYCLE
TO Na II`de
Americans. theseasons were
. part of thegreat circle of
life. Ihe Sioux did not
tell time by the sun, as we
do, but by the moon.lha
.iamed the changing moons to
describe seasonal
SPRING began in our month of April and was
known as 'Moon of the Lim of Euffajo Ca'Ne)." I:1 the spring, families left
their winter camps and began gathering food and hunting. though they
allowed the buffalo to fatten until fail.
SUMMER began in our month of June, which was known 35"Moon
When Strawberries Are Ripe." At the beginning of summer, men went on
vision quests to seek personal guardian spirits. Also in the summer, ail the
Sioux tribes met and arrang-ed their tepees in circles. For four days they
purified themselves. For the next four days they celebrated the sacred Sun
Dance ceremony.
FALL began in our month of August, which was known as "-I he
Harvest Moon." It was the most important hunting season of the year. The
men killed enough buffalo for the meat to last through the long, froen
winter. The women made pemmican from the meat.
WINTER began in our month of November, which was
known as "The Winter l'.'oon." As the snow began to fail,
families ,.ettied int() '.',Inter campsites. Men and boys repaired
tools whiie women and girls sewed, decorated clothing, and
made dolls. At night, stories were told around the tepee
;ire. Soon it h-2 spring, dad the circle of seasons
would begia again.
PEMMICAN ts
FveseYve. keev
kcis
beev,
otvxd mixed, wii-k
(Po+) niAd,
doried, ckcke
ckeysries. !+- is
scwtet.k.keii- i-c
imeckey%%-.:koey
TEPEE: t-ke etwellivo
1-ke
wcye
plence,A i Ok
-VAC! wcyd,
;:vcm
c..ictAx t.,,oycks "i-i,"
meotliv,oi lwel6o,"civd, "0," meatt,ito
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Id AKE A WAll.k-
g\fiCALENPAR'using the Lakota.-
Siouxnames of thea,,--,,
moons of the year.;-
_IllustrateLwhat_the___
_names mean. Mark
your birthday'and the.,
birthdays of your .
family and friends.
.'"E. ,tcoa rnctrier.icrcnidrn
nfl
T-orn
s!.
.nct
iti1111.li
ME BUFFALO:* .
A VALUED REMillions of buffalo roamed free.on the.Great- Plains before the white settlers
moved west.The-lives of the Lakota Sioux revolvedaround the hunt df the
buffalo. They honored the animal's spirit and used all of its parts for their
survival:
Between one and two hundred uses werefound foe the buffalo's body parts. The Sioux made
tepees, blankets, clothes, ropes, shoes, and dr.urnheads from buffalo skins.
They made containersisuch.as cups and disiies, and gun-powder horns.
Bones were used for needles. Because the Sioux did not make pottery, they
sed dried bUffalo stomachs to store water and as containers in which to
cook. Before the Sioux had horses, they disguised themselves in buffalo
skins that.still hadthe freadS attached when they
hunted the buffalaWomen kept count of the.
buffalo hides they prepared by carving si-nall dots. .
on the handlesOf the scrapers witn which they. .
did their work.
Sortie say there were as many as 12 million
buffalo when settlers and gold prospectors arrived
on the Great Plains.They destroyed the grass the
buffalo ate.They turned many parts of the Great Plains into grazing and
farm land..Worst of all, they killed millionsof buffalo for sport. By.1889, only 540 were still alive. Today, 15,000 buffalo live
in protected ar'eas. Some others live in national parks. Several thousand are
raised on private ranches and are sold for food.
111 111
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.
Brown, Dee. WoundedKnee, An Indian Historyof the American West.Adapted for YoungReaders by Amy Ehrlichfrom Dee Brown's BuryMy Heart at WoundedKnee. New York: HenryHolt & Co., 1974.
Campbell, Maria. Peopleofthe Buffalo: How thePlains Indians Lived.Buffalo, New York: Fire-fly Books, Ltd., 1992.
Erdoes, Richard. NativeAmericans: The Sioux.New York: Sterling Pub-lishing Company, 1982.
Hassrick, Royal B. TheSioux: Life and Customs
of a Warrior Society..Norman, Oklahoma:University of OklahomaPresi, 1967.
Josephy, Jr., Alvin M. 500Nations, An IllustratedHistory af North Ameri-.can Indians. New York:Alfred A. Knopf, 1994.
MacDonald, Fiona.Plains Indians.Haup-pauge, New York:
^t.
Barron's EducationalSeries, Inc., 1993.
Taylor, Colin. The Plair...
Indian. New York:Crescent Books, 1994.
Weatherford, Jack.Indian Givers. New Yort-:Ballantine Books, 1988.
Wolfson, Evelyn. TheTeton Sioux: People ofthe Plains. Brookfield,Connecticut:The Mill-brook Press, 1992.
YOU MAY' WANTTO SEE...
Last Stand at Little BigHorn. "PBS:The Ameri-can Experience" (60minutes), WGBH Educa-
tional Foundation(Boston) and Thirteen/WNET, 1992.
Live and Remember (Wo
Kiksuye), 1987; Fulfillingthe Vision (Oyate Igluki-nipi), 1992; Conie to the
Center and Dance (Coka-
ta Upo), 1994; (30 min-
utes each), availablefrom Solaris LakotaProject, 264 West 19thStreet, New York, NY,
10011.
NM INNON OWN
The Kennedy CenterJames D. Wolfensohn, Chairman
LaMence J. Wiiker, President 'Derek E. Gordon, Associate Managing Director, Edlieation
LAKOTA SioUx INDIAN DAlkICE THEATRE .
CUEExecutive Editors: Lynne Silverstein and John C..4
Carr. Contributing Writers: John C. CarG Sherill
1
SHEET Berryman-Miller, and Cynthia Word, Design: Paul
'1 Dupree Communications. Special Thanks to: Henry Smit;i,
artistic director. Lakota Sioux Indian Dane Theatre; Marian One
Star. Lakota Sioux cultural consultant and Lakota Sioux Indian
Dance -Theatre member; Dr. Archie Beauvais, Dean of Education
and lribai Stcies. Suite Gleska University, Rosebud Reservation,
South Dakota; and Janet Starke.
Cuesheet is funded in part through tbe support of the U.S.
Department of Education,lhe Kennedy (nter Corporate fund, and
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz -Foundation. K)1995 The John F.
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
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